Undergraduate Education Mission

To prepare students to enter the general practice of civil engineering and/or pursue graduate education, the department's undergraduate education mission is to provide a high-quality teaching and learning environment in recognized areas of civil engineering with proficiency in environmental, geotechnical, structural, transportation, and water resources engineering.

Program Educational Objectives and Student Outcomes

Consistent with the mission of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Tennessee, graduates of this program are expected to attain the following objectives:

Solve engineering problems and contribute to successful projects.

Advance with increasing technical and/or leadership responsibility.

Continually increase engineering proficiency, pursue graduate or other advanced education, proceed toward professional licensure, and contribute to the profession and community with integrity.

The curriculum in civil engineering provides training in fundamental engineering sciences and in basic subjects in related fields. Technical electives are available in construction, environmental engineering, geotechnical, materials, structures, transportation, or water resources.

Graduation Requirements

Students are strongly recommended to meet with their advisor every semester. Students are required to maintain a cumulative grade point of at least 2.0 in all civil engineering and environmental engineering courses taken at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, used to satisfy the graduation requirements. No more than four credit hours of civil and environmental engineering courses in which a C- or lower is the highest grade earned may be counted toward graduation. Students must earn a grade of C or better in all courses within their two selected concentrations.

Electives

Electives are chosen to meet student career objectives and program accreditation requirements. Students must consult with their advisor and have their selections pre-approved. A student must have a GPA of 2.75 or higher or approval of the instructor to take 500-level courses for undergraduate credit.

Five-Year BS-MS Program

The department offers a Five-Year BS-MS program with a BS (major in civil engineering) and an MS (major in civil or environmental engineering) for qualified students. The primary component of the program is that qualified students may take up to 6 hours of approved graduate courses for their senior undergraduate electives and have them count toward both their bachelor's and master's degrees. This program is designed for students attending the University of Tennessee for their Master of Science degree because other universities may not accept these courses for graduate credit since they were used to satisfy requirements for the Bachelor of Science degree. Significant components of the program are:

Students must have an overall GPA of 3.4 in required coursework. Conditional admission to the five-year program may be granted after completion of 65 hours of required coursework, while full admission may be granted after the completion of 96 hours of required coursework with a minimum GPA of 3.4.

Admission must be approved by the department, the Tickle College of Engineering, and the Graduate School.

Students must at least be conditionally admitted to the program prior to taking courses that receive credit for both the BS and MS degrees. All courses taken for graduate credit must be approved by the chair of the department and the Graduate School.

Students will not be eligible for assistantships until they complete their bachelor's degree.